Ka Muso Kai's 4th Annual Summer Seminar

True Samurai Wear Tilley

Somehow I found the time. My life is busy... too busy... but still I seem to be able to do, well, everything!

But only just.

Somehow I managed to get my homework done ahead of time. Somehow I managed to get mostly caught up on my three jobs. Somehow I managed to get the funds. And somehow I managed to help in the planning in yet another eventful Seminar. This time I was out of town for all of the organizing so more of the leg work was done by the guys in Calgary. I found this stressful, but in a way... nice.

The seminar really started with me getting urgent e-mails a day before I was supposed to leave Saint John. It was the kind of urgent e-mail what was like... URGENT. Evidently our guy was at the airport and ready to pick up Watkin Sensei, but Watkin Sensei was no where to be found. We have had some issues picking up Watking Sensei before. The first year Watkin Sensei arrived early (http://ejmas.com/tin/2007tin/tinart_calgaryniten_0710.html), the second year he was on time and the process of picking him up was flawless (http://ejmas.com/tin/2008tin/tinart_cook_0811.html), the third year Watkin Sensei actually showed up in Calgary a nearly a week before he was supposed to (I guess I didn't write an article about this one), and this year, nearly midnight Saint John time and I get an URGENT e-mail.

I did some magic to get the information we needed, like... looked through a zillion e-mails to find Watkin Sensei's ticked... and then called Calgary with the information. We found out that Watkin Sensei had arrived, meaning he was somewhere in the airport. A little bit more magic later, as I was about to implement an awesome action plan to find him, and then I got another e-mail... Watkin Sensei was found.

This was all a bit awkward because Taylor Sensei and Watkin Sensei were to be staying at my house... but I was in New Brunswick. That might be ok, after all my parents would be around right? Nope. They were in BC. Thus, the two Sensei had my house to themselves. Everything was fine now, everyone was accounted for, and in another 24 hours I would be flying to join them.

Day 1

I took an early flight from Saint John and arrived in Calgary morningishtime. I was met at the airport and headed home. That afternoon was spend with trying to sort out my life. Call the surgeon, buy food, ear candling, you know...

Hygiene is Key

When we were ear candling there was a sound in the basement that sounded like the broken fan in the downstairs bathroom. I was not too concerned as the fan has been broken for like... ever. Later I was down there and it turns out that it was not the fan, it was water... one of the hot water tanks had burst and there was water... everywhere...

We shut off the water mopped up as much of it as we could and called the plumber. He could not come until the next day.

After that, it was time for training. That night we had the very special honour of trying a martial art that had not, to our knowledge, ever been taught in North America before. Watkin Sensei instructed us in Kage Ryu which is the art of using a very very very long sword. I had some... uh... issues getting the sword out of the scabbard, but after I did, oh yeah! Super dangerous. It was an amazing experience to try a martial art such as Kage Ryu. Watkin Sensei had brought his own long sword (his wooden one, not steel), and Taylor Sensei has made us some to buy.

We had our traditional post-training slurpees. Chatted for a bit, and then went to bed. What a great 23 hour day.

Day 2

Yep... I needed that sleep. Up, awake, in the jeep and downtown. I needed to get my eyes checked. Ever since my Iritis incident (see ye posts from like... January) my eyes have been getting worse. Anyways, the Doctor things that my eyes are having an Arthritis like flare up and that eventually I will need glasses... uh... so much for my pride in my eyesight.

Well, on the bright side, I can still see stuff far away real good.

I headed home to meet the plumber. While the plumbers were doing their... thing... I just sat around with the Sensei, and... hmm... actually I think I was blogging. That took a surprisingly long time and then training.

More Kage Ryu. I was getting better at drawing the really really really long sword, but if you ever saw my it would be like the saddest samurai ever. It was another amazing day. We headed home, had slurpees, had food, and then I headed out with a friend.

When I returned everyone was gone or asleep.

Day 3

Practice

Niten Ichi Ryu and Jodo. We practiced hard to improve our technique. It has been hard for me to train here in Saint John since I seldom have a partner, but at the seminar I was able to work with different people to regain that aspect of my training. When I return to Calgary it will be nice to get into regular partner training.

To Remember Technique

It was a long day of training with a nice lunch break in the middle. The weather was not perfect so we trained inside. Afterwards a groups of use headed to my house for a barbecue. It was a nice break and a nice chance to catch up with the Calgary folks.

After the barbecue I met another friend, and when I returned, everyone was gone or asleep.

Day 4

Another day of Niten Ichi Ryu and Jodo. More training. More grasping at technique and knowledge that may have no perfected state. Grasping at air. You can always try harder, and get better, but you may never succeed. Perhaps there is no end point, but there is infinite space to grow and learn.

Valuable Instruction

After training the crew went out to supper and I went home. The family was all together, including my new Nephew. I got to catch up with everyone, but only briefly.

After an amazing supper my sister took me to the airport.

Red Eye.

Home.